admin

I received the same email reply from the County Council about Icknield Way. Let OCC know about any punctures, also email chair@harbug.org.uk so that we can get the full picture. Also if you see anybody repairing a puncture, please stop and let them know about contacting OCC.

In addition I requested that the same dressing is not used on the Winnaway and they replied:
‘I note your concern regarding the possible use of surface dressing on The Winnaway footpath. As mentioned in my email to you dated 15 January, surface dressing has been successfully used on other cycle tracks in the county and it is disappointing that this particular application has suffered from problems which could have been easily avoided. We are currently investigating possible surface treatment options for the Winnaway footpath, one of which is surface dressing, taking into account the lessons learned on Icknield Way.’

Kevin

We need to get the police to have a ‘word’ with this Gold Kia driver. Where did this morning’s near miss happen?
Has anybody else had a problem with this car, even if you have just thought it was one of those things that happens now and then? We also need to get a second confirmed number plate identification.
We don’t have to put up with this kind of behaviour and if we work together we can get the police to take action.

Yes, HarBUG was involved with the consultation of Great Western Park in 2008. In particular we were concerned with changes to the Wantage Road from Didcot to Harwell.
We asked for ‘on-carriageway’ cycle lanes from the Foxhall Road roundabout through to the A34 bridge. pointing out that this was a main cycle communting route to the Harwell Campus. We even looked at the feasibility with a County Council Traffic Engineer, on the ground. The traffic light junction was shown on the consultation documents and we asked for advanced stop boxes to be included connecting with the cycle lanes. There was very little detail of the junction on the consultation documents i.e. position of islands etc.
What we found out later, in 2011, was that everything had been planned, designed and signed off in 2007, a year before the public consultations.
This junction has been used as an example of how disjointed planning is in Oxfordshire and the need, in future, to look at the bigger picture. The County Council has admitted that the junction is a poor design for cyclists.
What we have got is what the developers and their traffic planners decided we are getting and told the council this is what’s going to happen.
This doesn’t help us and for the short term I think we are stuck with it , although we will try to get changes (perhaps when the new secondary school is built next to the UTC).
Things are going to get worse though, the next pointless cycle path is along Wantage Road. this involves widening the current footpath on the North side, this was in the 2007 plans and we seem to be unable to stop it.

I have just phoned Highways Enquiry team about this subject. The Chilton Road out of Upton will not be affected but the junction at the top will be. I have asked them whether they can keep a strip open so that cyclists can still use the route. They will be getting back to me to confirm whether they can do this. I will let you know the latest.

There was one incident where a cyclist went through the path and pulled straight onto the Diamond Ring Road in front of a car, according to the incident report. There was no accident but it was recorded as a near miss.
Harbug suggested putting a ‘give way’ sign up or a bollard to slow cyclists down but this was rejected as it is a footpath.
This is a shortcut through to Diamond from the RAL main gate so I think it will still be used. Maybe a ‘Cyclist Dismount’ sign will signal to cyclists to slow down. i think most cyclists have similar views on ‘Cyclists Dismount’ signs.